Study Finds QIAGEN's HPV Test Offers Greater Long-term Protection From Cervical Disease Th...(were negativefor HPV compared to when th...),Health

"These data are consistent with our findings in the Netherlands," says Professor Chris Meijer of the Department of Pathology in Amsterdam's VU University Medical Center. "The five-year risk for developing cervical cancer is reduced by more than 60 percent when using HPV testing, compared to conventional Pap smears and possibly even liquid-based cytology. This permits extension of the interval between tests, which should significantly reduce the cost of the screening program."

Prof. Meijer adds that despite the fact that the new HPV vaccines offer new possibilities for preventing cervical cancer, the current generation of women is dependent on improved screening strategies -- of which HPV testing is one of the most promising new tools.

The digene HPV Test is marketed by QIAGEN N.V. (NASDAQ: QGEN; Frankfurt, Prime Standard: QIA). QIAGEN N.V. -Search using:

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Its performance has been validated in global studies that included more than 300,000 women. It has been approved by the U.S. FDA for use along with a Pap in women 30 and older.

"These latest findings contribute significantly to the growing volume of studies demonstrating the greater peace of mind offered to women and their healthcare providers when our HPV test is incorporated into the standard of care for cervical cancer prevention," says Peer Schatz, CEO of QIAGEN. "Now the imperative is to make this lifesaving and cost-reducing technology available and accessible to all women of eligible age worldwide. When a cancer is 100 percent preventable - as cervical cancer is - it is morally unacceptable to withhold it."

About HPV and cervical cancer (http://www.theHPVtest.com)

Worldwide, cervical cancer affects nearly 500,000 women annually and, after breast cancer, is the second most co
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